Bruins don't need big trade to ensure very bright future

Even if Boston doesn't make a blockbuster move by today's trade deadline, try not to worry too much.

It's a harsh reality, but let's face it -- this team is not primed to win a Stanley Cup this season. If this is news to you, you're either the most optimistic person on earth or reading this through delusions of grandeur.

It's not the Celtics failing to get a big name while seemingly only one piece away from battling for an Eastern Conference title.

Take a breath. It's going to be OK.

The lighter side of that truth is that the Bruins aren't as far away from contending as it may seem. Reinvigorated by a coaching change, bolstered by young up-and-coming players and with a solid veteran core, Boston could easily be a playoff team this season and a threat in the near future.

Give the young guys -- Pastrnak, Vatrano, Spooner, Carlo, et al. -- another season to gain some confidence and refine their games. Discover their true skill sets, if you will.

The team has great veterans in the prime of their careers to build around. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand are franchise players, and under interim head coach Bruce Cassidy, David Krejci is playing more like the player everyone hopes he truly is. Even Tuukka Rask, a netminder I've questioned in the past, is playing like a legitimate top-10 backstop.

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The problem lies in two areas: defensemen and role players. For the latter, there are simply too many players that are, well, just players. Guys like Dominic Moore and Riley Nash fill their roles quite nicely, working on the penalty kill well and grinding out shifts. But guys like Jimmy Hayes and Matt Beleskey were brought in to be top-six forwards and neither one of them are really fit for roles like that. Guys like Tim Schaller, Joe Morrow and an aging David Backes -- a guy whose game I've loved for years -- are being leaned upon for things they're either no longer capable of or never were capable of.

And Morrow lands in the category of a problem on the blue line as well. The Bruins have no shutdown defender, no one who can go out against an elite top line and contain offensive stars. Zeno Chara isn't what he used to be, Torey Krug is a puck-mover first, Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller are nice (but unspectacular) d-men, and Colin Miller and Brandon Carlo are still finding their strides.

Here comes the argument: if defense is the problem, why didn't the Bruins swing a deal for Kevin Shattenkirk, dealt to the Capitals on Monday night? He was obviously available and rumors of a deal sending him to Boston have been swirling for the better part of tw o seasons.

The answer is two-fold: even with Shattenkirk, this team isn't a championship contender (yet). And, if you're one to believe the rumor mill, the former Boston University standout wants to return to his collegiate stomping grounds. So why not trade for him? Well, he's an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and he's free to sign anywhere he'd like.

Why deal a valuable player or pick to St. Louis for him when there's a chance you can sign Shattenkirk for nothing more than money in the offseason? Get him for a few years and build a unit that can contend perennially (like we all thought the Bruins would be after winning the Cup in 2011).

Odds are, he's simply a rental in Washington, which boosted its already high Cup hopes with the acquisition. That's a team looking to win now, not build for the future. In the Capitals' case, it's an aggressive move for a team that's been snakebitten in the postseason and has stars that aren't getting any younger.

Let the team in Boston grow, (hopefully) get a little playoff experience for the young guys and then address the needs over the summer.

And try to enjoy the process. It's not necessarily easy, but it done correctly, can produce great results (just ask Los Angeles or Chicago).

Time to steal a phrase that's all too familiar to Boston sports fans: there's always next year.

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